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Fox sends out a mass text: please come to the apartment, I would like to talk to everyone. It goes out to Leta, Mei, Zoya, and Vasha. There's even a calendar invite: MEET AT APARTMENT, with a time and date specified, conveniently for right now!
A separate text goes to Leta: bring the fucking flamethrower, Leta. He wasn't joking, and now he's grumpy.
A third text to Vasha: I'm inviting Leta, who did NOT read your mind without consent, and therefore does NOT know that you were being serious with your Give Me My Flamethrower Back LLC instead of trolling each other the way you have consistently in all of your interactions since the very first.
She's ordered pizza -- enough for everyone, with plain cheese in case Mei shows up and Hawaiian pizza and sausage -- and when people arrive, Fox is properly scrubbed. She's cleaned under her nails! Her hair has been washed and conditioned, and it's braided back out of her face! She's wearing a clean, simple green tunic that falls to her knees, and sits curled up in a chair in the living room, fiddling on her phone. This? This is Business Fox.
Zoya comes out of her studio holding her phone and wanders to the kitchen, then to the living room, though given the 8000 square feet of the penthouse she could have come from anywhere, including outside, and nobody would likely be the wiser. "What's this?" she asks in Russian, holding up her phone. "You're sending out meet invites for cadre meetings now? Firebirds go corporate?"
She's totally teasing, and she's smiling the whole time she does it. Also as she approaches to offer Fox a hug and possibly a kiss. "I hope nothing too terrible is going on. You make me worry when you get like this. Usually I don't think I have anxiety, but I'm starting to wonder."
Vasha hasn't really been back from Centralia yet. He's been in town, but he's been in town for the purpose of reporting in, posting notices, and so on. He's only now actually getting the chance to unwind from the mission. He's had a shower and has changed clothes, shaved, and done all the necessaries. When he wanders out of the bathroom he's barefoot, wearing a pair of sleep pants, and has his cross body holster on. The nasty gash on his shoulder from the Beshilu that clipped him is no longer bandaged, largely because Fox is no doubt about to make it disappear anyway. Before clearing the bathroom doorway he checks his pistol to make certain he actually topped off the magazine, then slides it back into his holster. He then steps out onto the balcony to shake himself out a cigarette and light it up. Not being antisocial, per se, just attending to his vices after being in the field for forty-eight hours. "Bathroom is free. The one I know about, anyway." It's a big apartment.
Mei is both worried and not that worried. On one hand, the calendar invite is a little weird, and not being told what the meeting is about is worrying. On the other hand, if there was a true emergency, chances are there would have been a request to come immediately, not on a schedule, etc.
Mei makes it upstairs and presumably inside because of reasons, and comes searching through the absurd apartment for the people she's supposed to meet with. "Hellooooo!" she calls, like someone trying to find lost hikers in the woods, and she waits for an answer to figure out where to go.
This is Leta's second time visiting the apartment since coming back from Centralia. She'd come last night to hang with Fox before going home to crash and stash all her new toys. Well. Some of her new toys. One in particular -- THE BEST ONE -- is currently in her possession at the moment as she rides the elevator up to the penthouse. She's dressed in her work clothes - blue denim pants, flower-print blouse, and (a rare treat) her white coat - while carrying a flamethrower tank on her back, and cradling the nozzle in her arms. Yes, she looks fucking ridiculous. Yes this flamethrower was incognito for the drive over.
Ding. Someone probably buzzed her up, right? Right. Obviously, 'cause now she's stepping out of the elevator.
"Nothing's wrong," Fox assures Zoya, putting her phone in the pocket on her tunic and looping her arms around the Obrimos's neck. The smile that Zoya gets is smitten, and it's paired with a kiss indeed. "I just wanted to make sure that people knew that Fox Is Being Serious." It's possible to hear the capital letters being spoken as she steals a second kiss. "Mei wisely brought up some things I had never thought about, and I wanted to talk about them. Leta expressed interest in being a Firebird, and Mei has also, so, whether or not they actually become Firebirds, it's best they're here when we discuss those issues. If nothing else, they can bear witness to our thoughtful deliberation."
Vasha's injured, though, so, that's the end of all trains of thought that aren't 'oh no bb hurt ;_;' as she lets go of Zoya and hops up to pap pap pap and run over toward him. Healing from Fox for Vasha means kisses. And of course healing, the flash of her Nimbus all green and wild as his shoulder knits itself together. She doesn't scold him for not calling them immediately, even.
"I usually thought that Fox is serious, but being concerned about whether people are taking them that way is less frequent." Zoya gives Fox another squeeze and then take a seat next to him. "That's an important topic. You mentioned that Leta might be interested before, so I've been kind of waiting for that conversation to happen at one point or another. I have some things to share with her about that cell phone that she wanted me to look at, too."
She stays where she is when Vasha comes back in and only asks, "there's an awful lot of drama going on over flame throwers. Do I need to take back my toys if people can't play nicely with them?" She doesn't know that Vasha went out and bought another one.
Kisses! Vasha returns them, and lets out a sigh of relief when his injury is mended. That had probably been bugging him for a while, yes. "I still need to debrief. Properly. Red Guards style. I'll need help with that, though. I need to file a report to the Guardians and to the Consilium. I need to get back to Centralia and resume my investigation, too. So I can't stay long." Vasha examines his shoulder for a moment, then takes a drag from his cigarette and gives Fox a quick tight hug that lasts a few seconds longer than is strictly speaking necessary for the purposes of gratitude for the healing. He gives her a smile, rubs a thumb over her cheek, and ends it with a wink. Some ash is flicked aside as the elevator opens and his flame thrower walks in dragging Leta along with it. "Ah! My precious darling, there you are! Who's your friend?" He flits a glance to Zoya and notes, "Yours is in the weapons closet. That one I bought. I'm now a Gold Star customer with Ivan down at the arms dealership."
Mei follows the sound of voices echoing in the vast caverns of this skyhaven and eventually finds the rest of the people who might soon end up being her cadre. "Hey folx," she says as she looks around. "Should I be worrying about the fact that Fox is all cleaned up and Leta has a flame thrower?"(edited)
Leta thrusts out her lower lip -- a dramatic pout for a dramatic little Mastigos -- and she unslings the fueltank before gently dropping it off in the hallway, and leaning the operating valve against the wall beside it. "Correction. Leta had a flamethrower. Leta knew true love for one fateful night, only to have it cruelly rippet from her hands at the whim of a terrible sadist." Her hands disappear into the pockets of her coat, and there's a brief flash of mischief as she smirks. "... but it's fine. I'm a masochist. It will only make me stronger in the end."(edited)
"Well, I'm attempting to signal Serious Business, and apparently I have managed to do so because people are reacting differently," Fox offers wryly to Zoya, leaning in to the affection from Vasha after the healing. Her face nuzzles in under his chin, and she lets out the smallest, quietest sigh. Things are better now that the rat thing is Over and her heart is back safely. She lets go of him so he can go off and collect the flame thrower if he wants to, and then she pap pap pap with her bare feet over to hug Mei hello, kissing her on the cheek, and then offer the same to Leta. She rolls her eyes at Leta's complaints, and then pads back over to sit next to Zoya, getting herself a can of soda and a slice of Hawaiian pizza on the way, which she rests on a plate. She's not totally uncivilized.
"Mei brought up a really good point about our stated cadre purpose, which matters to me, and to her, if she decides she'd like to ask us about joining. I wanted to talk about that."
"And some other stuff, too. All cadre stuff."
"Oh, well in that case." Zoya laughs. "I hope that many rat bastards were incinerated and that the purchase was well worth it." When Fox comes back around after greetings and sits next to her she puts her arms around Thyrsus shoulders and pulls her into a gentle squeeze. "I think that if there are important questions, or even feelings that need to be shared, that talking about it is the right way of dealing with that, so let's do it." She lifts the hand that's not around Fox and waves to Leta and Mei. "I guess there's pizza, and everyone's making themselves at home in my house, which is pretty much as things should be. Make yourselves comfortable. Get a drink. Eat my food."
Vasha finishes off his cigarette and tosses it into the butt can, exhaling the smoke before heading back inside. He heads into the kitchen to pour himself some vodka over ice, splashing some cranberry juice into it, and carries the hasty cocktail into the communal area again. Still shirtless, but now healed. He heads over to collect the weapon, hoists it up onto his shoulder, and lugs it over to the weapons closet. The code is entered, and he pulls the door open to carry it inside. The fuel cannisters are disengaged and stored away so that the weapon is not in fact one glitch away from burning down the whole building. He steps back out, shuts the door again, and heads over to settle onto the couch. One matter settled, apparently. "Yeah, everything on our filed charter is bullshit I came up with to sound like a legitimate person people should listen rather than a terrified solitaire fleeing for his life across an ocean and three continents. So we can rewrite it all, I don't care."
As long as things don't look like they're going to escalate into the flame thrower actually being used, Mei is willing to be relaxed about all of this. She returns Fox's hug, waves to everyone else, and goes to collect a plate and some pizza, sits down on the arm of the couch, and looks around as she starts to do some munching. "The main part of it that I brought up, since it pertains peculiarly to both me and Little Fox, is the reference to the Consilium," she explains before she starts eating pizza, so that she can seem like a serious adult and not someone trying to talk about important things with a face full of pizza and greasy fingers. "Little Fox isn't technically a part of it, and if I join, neither would I be. Hearing that the whole Charter is on the table, and not just that part, makes me feel better about raising that point."
"I had no authority to promise to do anything for an organization I did not belong to, either," Vasha explains of the omission. Which is information people about to pose might find useful which is why it's being inserted here.
Well. When in Rome, right? Fox's kiss is returned, and then Leta makes a stop at the refrigerator, producing the worst possible beverage -- Thanks for stocking it, Zoya! -- an Irish Blend Java Monster. She cracks it open, and takes a sip before grabbing a slice of pizza from the box on the way over to join the conversation proper. Leta, quite frankly, has very little in the way of productive imput to offer at the moment, so she just muches on her stolen food and drinks her disgusting coffee beverage.(edited)
She sits quietly, letting Mei explain, and leans in to Zoya, eating her pizza and pausing to crack open her soda. "Coffee and pizza?" Fox asks Leta, raising her eyebrows, but she doesn't say 'ew,' because that's a new experience. It might not be horrifyingly bad. But still, she eats pizza, not even smearing grease on anything. Like she briefly has manners. "I mean, I figured, Vasha. I know what your extemporaneous bullshit sounds like when you go off with it by now," Fox offers drily. She takes another few bites, nodding her head once, twice. "Which is fair," she agrees with both Mei and Vasha. "I hadn't honestly thought about it that much, I just figured 'we're going to do our best' is what we've always done. I had other things on my mind. So. I mean, if we change it to say that it's the Assembly or the Consilium depending on what we belong to, or, like, that we exist to do our best for the Awakened of Philadelphia... ?"
"I feel strongly about none of it," Zoya says with the same total lack of concern that Vasha seems to have about the whole thing. "That means I'm open to changing any and every part of it if that's what we decide to do." She eyes the pizza but is currently being a pillow for Little Fox so she says, "Vasha, would be you be a gentleman and get me a piece of pizza so I don't have to try to make Naika move to get one? I need to learn more Forces so I can use telekinesis." She thinks before saying, "we might want to look over the whole thing to decide what we want it all to actually say, instead of changing it piece by piece. People will get annoyed if we're constant revising it. Something like what Fox suggests, though."
"I am here from Ukraine. Well. Russia. Via Ukraine. I never heard of the Tree before I got here. I never heard of the Children of the Tree, either. I know of the Free Council and its Assemblies, but that doesn't seem to be what's going on here at all. I'm ignorant of this group, I don't really understand its politics or its aims. But every person I have met from the Children of the Tree has been a very decent and kind person. And given this is me that's talking, you must understand the compliment I am paying these people. If you can give me things to read about them, I will educate myself so I can be a better peer to you. But I wouldn't begin to know how to draft a charter that is inclusive of your practices and ours."
Vasha pauses to sip his vodka cocktail and adds, "I want to fight the Lie, destroy its servants, and shatter the Iron Pyramid. If that is in line with your ideals, good. If it is not, not good. Because I have sworn my life to the service of the Red Guards. Every Seer is my enemy. I don't just oppose them, I deliberately seek them out and destroy them. It's not just a mission to me, it's personal. It's my calling. My soul is marked for it, quite literally. So on this point I am afraid I am inflexible. If that's not okay with you, we're not a fit for one another."
Mei eats pizza while people are talking, because now she's not currently trying to seem like an adult. She said her adult thing. "That all makes sense, and if we're all willing to talk about what we actually want from each other and our charter, then I'm interested in talking about being a part of a cadre. We can try to figure out what that's going to mean for us, and if we end up realizing that it's not going to work then we go separate ways." She takes another bite, quickly swallows it because she had more to say, and then adds, "not that I expect that to be an issue, it's just worth mentioning in case someone has a different view."
Back to nibbling on pizza while Vasha's talking, and she nods along, but also gets up to get Zoya some pizza, which she puts on a plate and offers to the other Obrimos. "In lieu of telekinesis," she says before sitting down again. "Based on everything I know about the Seers, I'm happy to oppose them. The Diamond didn't treat the Unnamed Nations very well, but I can't imagine the Seers would treat them better. If you want all the members of your cadre to be as devoted to hunting people down and destroying them as you are, though, I may not be the right person for you. If you're okay with other members of your cadre supporting you when you need it, then I think I can help."
"The pineapple, pepperoni, and coffee don't really work well together, but that's fine. I don't care enough to regret my choices, or stop." Leta shrugs -- offering the can of Java Monster to Fox so that he, too, can try the abominable food and beverage combination. "Quite frankly, given that I'm here in this nightmare city -- no offense to anyone who likes Philadelphia, but it's not Austin, and it shows - because of Seers, I am absolutely okay with the Cadre's purpose being to hinder and destroy the Iron Pyramid at every turn." Beat. "Oh, and I guess helping the Awakend of Philadelphia -- Consilium or Assembly -- is probably a pretty noble cause, too."
"It's personal for me as well," Zoya says after all of Vasha's exposition. She accepts the plate with pizza from Mei and enjoys some of it herself while the conversation is continuing on, but she does explain. "My father is a Seer. I didn't know that until after my Awakening, but he has been for my whole life. It's all kind of complicated. He was supposedly in prison at the time. He's ttill is supposedly in prison. I'm pretty sure it's not actually him, but I haven't been able to visit him since before I Awakened."
"I'm not the hunter that Vasily is," she admits. "But I have my own skills for that battle. Not just arming other people for it. Speaking of which, Leta, I analyze that phone. I'll tell you in a bit."
"I can give you a copy of the Cortical Precepts, for certain, My Heart," agrees Fox. He reaches out to snag the coffee, takes a swallow of it, and then makes the most horrible and exaggerated face. "Well. That was a new experience," they declare, handing the coffee back to Leta and taking another bite of their pizza, with soda to wash it down.
"I am fine with our purpose being to oppose the Seers at every turn. We all have our own ways of doing that, whether it's outright war or supporting the warriors or providing support to those from the Assembly and the Diamond. There are a hundred ways to oppose the Iron Pyramid." A pause, and Fox adds, "Before we get too far into the weeds of revising our Great Rights, I do want to say that I think that -- one, obviously I invited Leta and Mei here because I think they ought to be Firebirds." And then she pauses, looking for words, pursing her lips together.
"I think that once upon a time, I was a good Farseeker." Another pause, as she looks for the right words. "I'm not, anymore. Or, at least -- as much as we have ever cared about traditional cadre roles? I don't fit that role. It's not who I am, and most importantly, it isn't who I am to all of you." A slow blink of her green-gold eyes. "I think it would be best for me to be our Hearthmaster. I think that is the role that I fill whether we say so or not, and so that is the role I should have."(edited)
"It's less needing to be as dedicated to violence as I am, Mei, and more needing to be aware that being my ally makes you a target. One day, I will probably be killed by a Seer. There's no reason to believe their malice will end with me. Being close to me makes you a target. And then there's the whole Russian government I just defected from." Vasha gestures over to Zoya indicatively. The one infiltrated with Seers of the Throne. "If the FSB doesn't get me, the Pyramid will. It's only a matter of time. You all need to realize that's the score, here. Obviously Zoya, Fox, and I are all on the same page in that regard. But if you really want to join with us, you need to realize what you're signing up for. They one will try to use you all to get to me and the other will not stop at me once they realize I work with you all. I am not trying to center myself in all of this, but... Fox and I have been around and around about this. You want in to my life despite me giving both of you every reason to hate me. I have been trying to push you both away for your own sakes. You seem determined. Fine. Just realize I tried, and that I warned you."
Mei finishes her slice of pizza and puts the plate down on the coffee table before returning to sitting on the arm of the couch. "I don't mind the idea of taking every step necessary to destroy anyone who comes around trying to hurt the people around me," Mei responds to Vasha, nodding like she understands. "Signing on to a life of fending off Servants of the Lie I can do. Taking the fight to them when required to make sure everyone is safe I can do. As long as you aren't expecting all of us to be as fanatical as you are in hunting them down proactively." She looks at Little Fox and smiles. "Which doesn't seem like your thing, Fox? So I did sort of assume that would be okay. I have no objection to you being Heartmaster, either. What would that leave me being? Doorwarden?"
"Oh, you mean being a crusty old bastard every time I tried to talk to you was a purposeful move? I had no idea," Leta offers dryly through a chipmunk-sized mouthful of pizza. "Obviously I accept those risks - I told you I accepted those risks weeks ago, Vasha. I strapped myself to explosives because I wanted to personally ensure that you returned safely from Centralia - and I think it's a bit late to warn me about an enemy we've shared since before we met." She sticks out her tongue. Which. Is gross, because her mouth is full of food. "I don't believe there is a traditional role that I would fit, but quite frankly I'm surprised that Fox wasn't already the Firebirds' Hearthkeeper."(edited)
"Vasha you're such a drama queen," Zoya says as she rolls her eyes. "Not that you're entirely wrong, either. Shoring up our security is definitely on my priority list over the next couple of months. Oh! On that topic, I reached Adepthood with Prime, so I can awaken the Hallow that we have in the penthouse. We'll have to talk to the Mysterium to make sure that we have approval for doing so, of course." She squeezes Fox gently and leans over to kiss him on the side of the head. "I was filling the role of Hearthmaster on a de facto basis, and I don't mind relinquishing it to you. The fireplaces here are all gas, though. If you're starting fires in our current hearts please don't use wood, it will be a big problem." She smiles at Leta. "I'm currently our Edgetender, which still makes sense given the acquisition of the Hallow and everything. Roles can overlap and be redefined as we need, too."
Laughter rolls out from Fox as all of the overlapping commentary seems to set her far more at ease than she was previously. "I am here to start fires in all of the hearts. With Matter and my new knowledge of Forces, it could be gas or wood, but I promise not to start any wood fires in here because of the gas fireplaces." Her silliness bubbles up and over, a sure indication that Fox had been nervous and/or worried about the topics she was bringing to bear, and that this tension is releasing. "Thank you, Zoya, for looking after us in many ways. I look forward to talking with the Mysterium and then hopefully making some coffee for the Hallow." She curls up against the Russian Obrimos contentedly. All is well in their world again. "I have been known to hunt a Seer or two, when I was asked to. Or when one ruined my weekend away by murdering someone. I don't go out looking for them. But."
"Being a Hearthkeeper typically involves being near the Hearth. Trying to get Fox to stay put for ten minutes, yet alone ten days is a futile thing. We took to calling her a 'very farseeker' as a result. Then she went to America and joined the Children of the Tree. So." Vasha shrugs his shoulders in a manner that implies Leta will probably understand soon enough. Rather than belabor any of his points, he drains the last of his cocktail, sets the glass on a coaster, and rises to head back to the deck and his cigarettes. "Said what I needed to say."
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